More than 1,000 British jobs are being offered abroad to meet a government target of increasing the number of foreign workers employed in domestic work.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said the new jobs were being created by companies and government bodies such as the NHS, the Home Office and the Department of Health.
More than 1.5 million people are employed in the UK as part of the private sector, the agency said.
The jobs have come at a time of heightened scrutiny over the UK’s immigration policies and concerns about the impact on employment.
The number of British nationals living abroad is expected to rise from 1.3 million in 2020 to 2.4 million in 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Since the Brexit vote, there has been a rise in jobless claims by UK nationals working in countries outside the UK, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 UK nationals on the jobless list, according a recent report from the Centre for Economic Performance.
However, the UK has made a number of changes to its immigration system to make it easier for people to come to the country, particularly for skilled foreign workers.
The Home Office is currently considering a proposal to increase the number to 10,000 foreign workers from 6,000.
It is understood the government is also considering expanding the number offered abroad from 10,500 to 20-25,000 as part the government’s Brexit strategy, and to increase to 30,000 the number granted permanent residence from around 2,000 each.
Under the government plan, a UK worker would receive a permanent residence permit (PRP) which allows them to work in the country for two years and live there for up to six years.
The new jobs come as Home Secretary Amber Rudd is under pressure from MPs and other senior figures in her party to tighten up the country’s immigration laws.
The government has also pledged to make changes to the way the immigration system works and has promised to cut the number from 10 million to 5 million in the next Parliament.
